15mm Wargaming Figures for Chinese in WW2

When British wargamers think of the Burma Campaign, we think the 14th Army. But the Chinese made an important contribution to the Allied effort in Burma. Eureka Miniatures have a Range of Chinese that covers the Second Sino-Japanese War which overlapped with WW2. I have a quick look at that range then explore other options if you, like me, want even more variety in your 15mm wargaming armies.

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Chinese Uniforms

Broadly speaking there were three Chinese uniforms during the Sino-Japanese War: Northern, Southern Summer, and Southern Winter. The Japanese initially fought, and defeated, soldiers wearing the Northern uniform. The Southern Summer uniform is of most interest to me as it is what was worn in Burma.

Southern Summer uniform:

• Colour = khaki
• Jacket
• Breaches or long shorts
• Puttees except most officers wore boots
• Ski cap or helmet

Southern Winter uniform:

• Colour = Blue-grey
• Padded jacket and trousers
• Puttees except most officers wore boots
• Furry cap but could also wear ski cap or helmet

Northern uniform:

• Colour = Grey
• Padded jacket and trousers
• Puttees except most officers wore boots
• Furry cap, peaked cap, or kepi

Okay, the colours don’t matter for a guide on figures to collect, but I’ve included it here as a reference point if you happen to be looking at coloured images of Chinese soldiers.

Both the Northern and Southern Winter uniforms were for cold weather. So they would use similar looking figures i.e. those with padded clothes and furry caps.

It is the southerners I’m interested in. With the collapse of the northern armies, the southern uniforms became the de facto standard. The summer uniform would need quite different looking figures with a light jacked and either breaches or long shorts.

Although each uniform has associated headgear, there was a fair amount of variation. Hats could be a German style field cap (ski cap), fur lined cap (furry cap), the old style Imperial peaked caps, ‘kepi’ style field cap (kepi), or a peasant coolie hat. Helmets could be German, Brodie (including British and US variants), French Adrian, USA WW2 and others.

From what I can tell, the elite German trained divisions worse a Southern Summer uniform with a German helmet.

Most Chinese wore puttees with either bare feet, sandals or shoes.

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Eureka Chinese Range

The Eureka Miniatures 15mm Chinese range (available in UK and Australia) has this to offer:

• 300WWT20 Chinese infantry with rifle (20 Variants)
• 300WWT21 Chinese infantry with submachinegun (3 Variants)
• 300WWT22 Chinese infantry with light machinegun (6 Variants)
• 300WWT23 Chinese heavy machinegun with two crew (2 Crew)
• 300WWT24 Chinese officer (4 Variants)
• 300WWT25 Chinese standard bearer (2 Variants)
• 300WWT26 Chinese Big Sword man (4 Variants)
• 300WWT27 Chinese mortar with two crew (2 Crew)
• 300WWT28 Chinese artillery crew (3 Variants)

There is a lot of variety in there, but not all of the options lend themselves to the Burma Campaign. The photo below shows a subset of the Eureka collection with my interpretation of the uniform each figure is wearing. A bit too many Southern Winter and Northern uniforms for my purposes.

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Where to look for even more variety

I’m interested in Southern Summer uniform and Eureka might not provide enough options because I like a lot of variety in my forces. So I went hunting for options to mix in with Eureka the figures.

Because other folk might be interested in Northern armies or Southern Winter uniform, I’ve considered those as well, but my main interest is finding more figures that make a plausible guy in Southern Summer uniform. To be considered a figure must be 15mm and:

• Enlisted men with puttees, light kit and either a ski cap, furry cap, peaked cap, German helmet, Brodie helmet, or Adrian helmet
• Officers with boots or puttees, and either a ski cap, furry cap, peaked cap, German helmet, Brodie helmet, or Adrian helmet

WWI ranges offer quite a few options for the Chinese of the Sino-Japanese War. Austrians provide a ski cap option. Late War Germans provide a German helmet option; Freikorps are particularly appropriate as they have light kit. Peaked caps can be found in the Polish, British and Russian ranges. British helmets in the British range. Major caveat, WW1 figures often come with heavy kit and the Chinese favoured light kit.

WW2 offers Germans in both helmet and ski cap, but personally I’d be shy of the heavy kit, jacket boots, and gaiters. Similarly for the British, they have a suitable helmet but mostly come with heavy kit and no puttees.

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Chinese in ski cap

The ski cap was part of the default Chinese uniform (Southern Summer). Unfortunately, there are few options.

WW1 Austrians for ski cap

WW1 Austrians have a cap which is very similar to the Chinese ski cap. You’d have to trim off the plume at the front of the cap. Some also have puttees, although some have boots. The big challenge is they come which heavy gear, which is uncharacteristic for the Chinese.

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Austrians with light kit and puttees:

• 139. Austrian gun crew
• 140. Austrian Higher command
• 142. Austrian HMG

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Austrians with heavy kit and puttees:

• 137. Austrian infantry firing
• 138. Austrian infantry kneeling (waiting to attack)
• 141. Austrian dead

QRF Korean War with ski cap

QRF have Chinese in their Korean War range. These seem to have the ski cap. Some seem to have puttees. Two things put me off: they have heavy kit and the quality, based on the photos, looks questionable.

QRF – Korean War – Chinese offers:

• PCC01 Chinese Scout Cavalry
• PCI02 Chinese Rifles
• PCI03 Chinese Command

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Chinese in peaked cap

The most common headgear leading up to the Second Sino-Japanese War was the peaked cap. WW1 ranges offer a lot of peaked caps. More than I probably need.

The photo shows both an officer and a machine gun crew with the Chinese peaked cap. Unusually the crewmen are wearing greatcoats. Although greatcoats were part of the official uniform, they were rare as the men preferred the padded jacket and trousers of the winter uniform.

WW1 Eureka Miniatures British in Peaked Cap

Eureka have some WW1 British with a peaked cap, puttees and light kit. They also have shorts. Cool.

Eureka Miniatures 15mm WW1 range (UK, Australia) offers:

• 300HBC81 British Infantry in Sinai, cap (4 Variants)

WW1 Poles for Peaked cap guys in light kit

Poles of 1920 have a peaked cap, puttees and light kit. All you have to do is trim off the badge at the front of the cap. That is 1920 and you have to be a bit wary of Poles of WW1, as too many wear French uniform and/or Czapka.

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Polish offer:

• 113. Polish gun crew
• 116. Polish cavalry command
• 291. Polish 1920 Advancing
• 292. Polish 1920 Firing
• 293. Polish 1920 Officers
• 294. Polish 1920 MG (2 teams)
• 295. Polish 1920 Gun crew
• 296. Polish 1920 Hi porte
• 297. Polish 1920 Higher command

The Polish 1920 Higher command pack (297) seems to have a cool officer figure with a sword that could do duty as a Chinese Dadao. But another officer has a disturbingly large moustache – a feature to be avoided for Chinese.

Peter Pig WW1 British with peaked cap

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 British with peaked cap and light kit:

• 38. British dismounted cavalry EW

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 British with peaked cap and heavy kit:

• 1. British Infantry firing EW
• 2. British cavalry EW
• 8. British gun crew EW
• 13. British HMGs EW (2 teams)
• 87. British 1914 infantry charging EW
• 92. British cavalry command EW

Khurasan Miniatures WW1 British with peaked cap

Khurasan Miniatures – 15mm World War I, 1914

• 15mm 1914 British Infantry Advancing, No Moustaches (six figures in six poses)
• 15mm 1914 British Infantry Shooting, No Moustaches (six figures in six poses)
• 15mm 1914 British Infantry command (six figures — four poses of NCOs, two poses of officers)
• 15mm 1914 British Maxim Heavy Machine Gun and five crew
• 15mm 1914 British Cavalry (three figures in three poses)
• 15mm 1914 British Cavalry Command (two figures in two poses)
• 15mm 1914 British 13 Pounder/18 Pounder Field Gun and five crew (comes with barrels for both field gun types)

The 13/18 pounder is there, not for the gun, but for the crew.

Peter Pig WW1 Russians with peaked cap

A few WW1 Russians can be useful. The Russian officers have a peaked cap and boots, but could serve as Chinese. The Czech Legion have a peaked cap, puttees, and light equipment. Perfect. The Chinese used horse limbers and the Russian one comes close.

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Russians:

• 65. Russian infantry command advancing
• 66. Russian infantry command standing
• 81. Czech Legion infantry
• 131. Russian 4 horse limber

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Chinese in German helmets

The German M1935 Helmet was the most common in use by the Chinese.

WW1 Germans with late war helmet

WW1 Late War Germans have the M1916, M1917 or M1918 Stahlhelm (steel helmet) which is close enough to the M1935 model popular amongst the Chinese, although the lugs on each side would need to be trimmed off. Luckily for my purposes, chronic leather shortages caused the German army to adopt puttees in the place of the tall leather boots initially worn. However, many figures carry kit which is a bit heavy for Chinese. The Freikorps and a few others would fit in perfectly with German helmet, puttees, light kit.

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Germans with helmet with light kit:

• 149. German Freikorps….will do as LW Germans in light kit. Advancing
• 102. Stormtroopers with flamethrower LW
• 103. German gun crew LW
• 107. German HMGs LW (2 teams)

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Germans with helmet with heavy kit:

• 99. Stormtroopers +SMG LW
• 108. Stormtrooper reinforcements LW
• 112. German infantry in helmet charging LW

Note: WW1 German Flamethrowers worked in teams of 2 men. The man with the canister on his back is positioned behind the squirter man. the rear man’s hose can be animated to show some flex

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Germans with helmet with heavy kit and what looks like body armour which could do duty as a Chinese padded jacket:

• 98. Stormtroopers +grenades LW

WW1 Russians with German helmet

Some of the Russian infantry would be good options with a German helmet, puttees and a mix of light and heavy kit. The officer would be okay in boots. Not so sure about the rifleman in boots.

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Russians offer one pack with German helmet:

• 77. Russian infantry in German helmets

WW2 German

The German helmet was the most popular helmet amongst the Chinese. The heavy kit makes most WW2 German figures unsuitable, particularly with a gas mask holder. And there are no puttees in sight – they wore jack boots or ankle boots with gaiters.

Peter Pig – Range 8 WW2 – German with helmet and jack boots:

• 671. German EW command
• 670. German EW AT gun crew
• 688. German EW 81mm medium mortar(2 teams)
• 198. German cavalry with carbines(4 x1 piece castings)
• 199. German cavalry officers(4 x1 piece castings)
• 525. German cavalry HQ

Peter Pig – Range 8 WW2 – German with field cap and ankle boots:

• 124. DAK rifles

Peter Pig – Range 8 WW2 – German with helmet and ankle boots:

• 69. LW German officers in helmets
• 456. LW German gun crew kneeling
• 458. LW German 81mm mortars

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Chinese in Coolie hat

Many of the Chinese had a large straw coolie hat in addition to their military headgear. Some would only have had a coolie hat.

Flashpoint Miniatures Local Force Vietcong with coolie hats

I’m a big fan of Flashpoint Miniatures and their Vietnam ranges offers some guys in coolie hats, perfect for the more roughly equipped Chinese.

Flashpoint Miniatures – Vietnam offers:

• LVC-03 LVC/NLF Porters
• LVC-06 LVC Rifle squad Bareheaded
• LVC 07-LVC Rifle squad with Coolie Hat

Peter Pig Vietcong with coolie hats

Peter Pig – Range 1 Vietnam offers:

• 47. Porters (bike/cart/big pack 6 figs)

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Chinese in Brodie helmet

The Brodie Helmet was the basis for two helmets of WW1: the “Helmet, Steel, Mark I” in Britain and the “M1917 Helmet” in the US. The British used another descendant in WW2: “Helmet, Steel, Mark II”. All were used in China and in 15mm scale they all look much the same.

WW1 British with helmet

WW1 British have the puttees and a variant of the Brodie helmet. Unfortunately most come with heavy kit.

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 British with helmet with light kit:

• 122. British gun crew in helmet LW

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 British with helmet with heavy kit:

• 6. British LW grenade throwers
• 118. British in helmet advancing. LW
• 119. British in helmet firing LW
• 124. British Vickers HMGs/helmet. LW (2 teams)

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Chinese in Furry cap

The furry hat was part of both the Northern uniform and the Southern Winter uniform. It doesn’t really suit the Southern Summer uniform used in Burma. Korean War Chinese ranges offer some furry hats.

The photo doesn’t have the furry cap but it does have the padded uniform.

Khurasan Miniatures Korean War in furry cap

The Khurasan Korean War Chinese are dressed in the distinctive Chinese quilted winter uniform used during the Korean War. Unfortunately, during the earlier Second Sino-Japanese War the padded winter uniform was not quilted.

• KM-2400 Korean War CPV infantry with rifles (x4), SMGs (x4) and grenades (x4)
• KM-2401 Korean War CPV Support/Command (x 11 pieces — two LMG, one MMG, one mortar crew with light/medium mortar, bugler, officer, political officer)

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Chinese in Adrian helmets

Some Chinese wore the French Adrian helmet. These appeared in Burma but were more common in the areas adjacent to French Indochina.

Peter Pig Spanish Civil War with Adrian

Spanish Civil War figures tend to have light kit and some of them wear the Adrian helmet.

Peter Pig – Range 13 Spanish Civil War offers:

• 12. Gun crew/ French helmet
• 33. Infantry in French adrian helmet (suitable for international brigade)
• 62. International brigade in Adrian helmet

Peter Pig WW2 French with Adrian

The WW2 French wore the Adrian. Just avoid any figures with the great coat, which also tend to come with heavy kit.
Peter Pig – Range 8 WW2 – French offers:

• 72. French gun crew
• 79. French HMGs
• 583. French SMGs

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Chinese Light and heavy machine guns

The Chinese used a variety of light machine guns, but the main one was the Czechoslovakian ZB-26. The Nationalists received 30,249 between 1927 and 1939. The question is, who makes these in 15mm? Well, the Chinese light machine gunner from Eureka has a ZB-26. But he appears to be in the Northern uniform or Southern Winter uniform, so isn’t much use to me. So I’m looking for alternatives.

As it happens British Bren gun was a modified ZB-26, so I’m okay using Bren gunners amongst my Chinese forces. And those divisions equipped by the British probably used a Bren anyway. You’ve got lots of choices for Bren gunners but I’ve suggested a couple with lighter equipment. These would need modification if you want them to have puttees.

• Eureka 300WWT63b Pacific Australians, with Bren LMG gunner, in tin helmet
• Peter Pig – Range 8 – 368. WW2 British 14th Army Brens (2 variants in slouch hat; one in helmet)

The Chinese also used captured Japanese weapons e.g. the Type 11 light machine gun and Type 96 light machine gun. So you could include Japanese figures amongst your Chinese, perhaps with a head swap.

• Eureka 300WWT92k Japanese infantry with Type 96 LMG, in kepi, advancing (15mm)
• SkyTrex CDJS04 Japanese Light Machine Guns

The water cooled maxim heavy machine gun was standard in all divisional organisations from 1928. There are many derivatives of the maxim including the British Vickers machine gun, the German MG 01 and MG 08, and Soviet Maxim machine gun Model 1910. From 1935 the Chinese began using the locally produced Type 24 heavy machine gun, which was itself a derivative of the MG 08. Although the Austro-Hungarian Schwarzlose MG (M. 7) and US M1917 Browning machine gun were from completely different designs, their water-cooled barrels gave them an appearance broadly resembling the family of Maxim-derived machine-guns. Many of these appear in various WW1 and WW2 ranges and any of them would be fine for Chinese service.

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Guns and mortars

The Chinese used several European guns.

Peter Pig – Range 8 WW2 – German offers the gun used in the German trained divisions:

• Peter Pig 35. 37 mm A/T gun (discard the spare barrel included for the steilengranite rocket)

The standard Chinese artillery piece was the Krupps 7.5 cm Mountain Gun 06. Krupp modified this for export as the Krupps 7.5 cm Mountain Gun 08, which was license built by the Japanese as the Type 41 75 mm mountain gun. The Chinese also make local versions of the 08 as well as using captured Japanese guns. So you could use some of those if you’ve got them lying around.

• Flames of War JP565 Japanese Type 41 75mm Infantry Gun
• Quality Castings 1008 Japanese Type 41 75mm Mountain Howitzer With Horse Limber

As US equipment became available Chinese divisions adopted the US 75mm Howitzer M1, primarily in the pack gun configuration but they also had the field gun configuration.

• Peter Pig – Range 8 – American 360. US 75mm pack Howitzer
• Butlers Printed Models – 75mm Pack Howitzer M1 (15mm) (Minimum purchase quantity is 2)

Apparently the Chinese were fond of the Japanese Type 89 grenade discharger (“knee mortar”). So you could add in some figures with these with an optional head swap.

• Eureka 300WWT88k Japanese infantry with Type 89 knee mortar, kneeling, in kepi (15mm)
• SkyTrex CDJS05 Japanese Light Mortars

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Chinese Tanks

Initially the Chinese had access to British (Vickers-Carden Loyd amphibious tanks; Vickers 6-Ton – use a T-26; Carden Loyd tankettes), German (Panzer 1 Ausf A; SdKfz 222; SdKfz 221), Soviet (T-26) and Italian (CV-35) armoured vehicles. Later they got US equipment (Stuart M3; Stuart M5), sometimes via the British (M4A4 Shermans aka Sherman V).

Carden-Loyd Carrier MkVI

• Shape Ways – MojoBob Design – Carden-Loyd Carrier MkVI 15mm
• Wargaming 3D – mojobob.hoochyman – Carden-Loyd Carrier Mk.VI (15mm)

Panzer I A

• Minairons 15GEV002 100 Panzer I A – Boxed set – these come with Chinese decals!
• Butlers Printed Models – Panzer I (15mm) – Ausf A

T-26

• Minairons 15GEV005 1/100 T-26 A & B – Boxed set
• Butlers Printed Models – T26 (15mm) – T26 1933 early

CV-33

• Peter Pig – Range 8 – Italian 114 CV33 Tank

Stuart M3

• Skytrex CD217A M3A1 Stuart Light Tank

Stuart M5

• Skytrex CD218 M5 Light Tank
• Skytrex CD218A M5A1 Light Tank
• Skytrex CD218B M5 A1 (late) Light Tank
• Flames of War BBX58 Stuart Recce Patrol (Plastic)
  (4 tanks)
• Plastic Soldier Company WW2V15021 15mm WW2 Allied M5A1 Stuart Tank (5 tanks)

Sherman M4A4 (Sherman V)

• Skytrex CD134 M4A4 Sherman V
• Forged in Battle B-43 M4A4 Sherman V 75mm (4 tanks)
• Plastic Soldier Company WW2V15011 15mm WW2 Allied M4A4 and Firefly Sherman Tank (5 tanks)
• Flames of War BBX60 Sherman Armoured Troop (Plastic) (5 tanks)
• Peter Pig – Range 8 – British 246. Sherman M4A4 75mm British

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Head swaps

Peter Pig has an extensive range of heads. This gives you the option to replace the heads of any of the above with something else. Or perhaps add even more variety and use WW1 Turks as the basis for the head swaps.

Peter Pig Range 6 Heads

Peter Pig – Range 6 Heads offers

• 23. WW1/WW2 Adrian helmet. SCW / French
• 30. WW2 German helmet
• 33. Coolie hat
• 40. WW2 British helmet
• 43. WW2 US helmet heads
• 46. WW2 German combat cap

WW1 Turkish

At least one wargamer uses WW1 Turks for his Chinese. These demand a head swap, but otherwise have puttees and light kit.

Peter Pig – Range 16 WW1 Turkish offers:

• 226. Turkish Rifle firing
• 227. Turkish HMG (Schwarloze) (2 teams)
• 228. Turkish Advancing
• 229. Turkish Charging
• 230. Turkish Gun crew
• 231. Turkish Dead
• 232. Turkish Officers
• 234. Turkish Boys
• 237. Turkish Bombers (grenades)

I’m tempted to get the Boys pack (234) so I can include the boy with water bottles on a Chinese command stand.

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Converting riflemen into swordsmen

Chineses big swordsmen carried the sword in addition to other small arms. So you just have to add a sword – probably glued to the figures back. Donnington Miniatures sell a couple of weapons packs that might do the job:

• EQ52 Straight Sword (6 pack)
• EQ53 Curved Sword (6 pack)

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So what should I buy?

Okay, that is a lot of choice. The Eureka Chinese are are a great basis for whatever I might want to do. But I’ll really have to buy some samples to check the baseline. That will highlight where the gaps are.

There are so many other ranges that can contribute figures that I can probably be fussy and reject anything that isn’t a good match. I’ll avoid furry hats, as I’m more interested in Southern Summer. I’ll reject heavy kit. I’ll probably avoid Adrian helmets and Brodie helmets. And I’ll probably void the US based Khurasan Miniatures because postage is prohibitive.

That leaves me ski caps, peaked caps, helmets, and coolie hats.

Ski Caps: I might make the WW1 Austrians an exception to the no heavy kit rule, because I want ski caps and they’re the only option.

Peaked Caps: There are lots of options for peaked caps and puttees in the various WW1 ranges. I’ll get the Eureka WW1 British because they have shorts. Not sure about all the others. I’m tempted by Polish (particularly 1920), Czech Legion infantry, Dismounted British cavalry. Lots of ranges offer suitable officers with peaked caps and boots.

German Helmets: These were the most common helmet amongst the Chinese and the Eureka range includes a few. WW1 Germans can supplement these particularly the Freikorps. I’ll probably get WW2 German officers, anti-tank gun crew and cavalry; boots are okay for both officers and cavalrymen.

Coolie hats: I’ll get some baggage carriers and some riflemen with coolie hats.

I’m inclined to use the Eureka big swordsmen for a “Do or Dare” unit. I can create more swordsmen using the Donnington sword packs

Nobody makes Chinese cavalry so I’ll either go for German WW2 cavalry with German helmet or British WW1 cavalry with peaked cap. I have a slight bias to Germans at the moment.

Russian horse limbers are probably on the list.

I’ll need some guns, anti-tank gun crews and artillery men. I’ll use Germans for anti-tank gun crew. Artillery men could have peaked caps or German helmets. WW1 Austrians might also contribute to the crews as they have ski cap.

I hate doing head swaps, but I will probably get a couple of packs, just in case: 46. WW2 German combat cap (for the ski cap); 33. Coolie hat.